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@AppendAutomation

Append Automation, LLC

A custom manufacturing automation solutions company specializing in retrofits.

Open source from the bench

Tools we built for our own plant-floor work and publish here for anyone who needs them.

Repository What it does
pylogix_cli Command line application for executing pylogix commands.
pycomm3_slc_cli Command line application for executing pycomm3 functions.
pyModbusTCP_cli Command line wrapper for the pyModbusTCP library.
cslogix C# version of pylogix.
cscomm3_slc A C# conversion of the pycomm3 library, for SLC communications over Ethernet.
pyDHCP Python DHCP/BOOTP server for assigning IP addresses to devices.
MailAlertServer Email alert service driven by SQL queries.
MailRequestServer Email request service driven by SQL queries.
AlertMailComposer A GUI editor for the alert mail service.
pv_tools PanelView display interrogator.
batch-gui-executer Run a batch file with feedback for the user while it works.

About Us

Append Automation — your machine isn't obsolete, your controls probably are

Industrial control systems & automation engineering

appendautomation.com  ·  sales@appendautomation.com  ·  Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

Is your manufacturing process stuck in the 90’s? We are senior automation professionals with over 50 years combined experience managing the delicate intersection between machine control and business development — new control system design, legacy upgrades, and relentless focus on process efficiency.

50+
Years combined
30
Years in industry
$70B
Aged-out equipment
20–40%
Systems at end of life

// 01 Everything from the terminal block to the dashboard

Offered on an hourly rate or as lump sum for defined projects. One team carries the work from concept drawings through commissioning, so nothing is lost between disciplines.

PLC Programming

  • All Allen-Bradley platforms: ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix, Micro800, SLC 50X
  • Siemens TIA Portal — S7-300, S7-1200, S7-1500
  • Honeywell's family of PLC products
  • Conversion and upgrading between platforms

HMI Programming

  • All versions of Wonderware (now Aveva) — InTouch and Archestra
  • Rockwell FactoryTalk View ME and SE
  • Maple Systems EZWarePlus
  • Upgrade and conversion between platforms and versions
  • Custom HMI built on JS and web technology for small, inexpensive deployments

Control System Design / CAD

  • Custom control system design against your automation requirements
  • Your platform of choice, or one specified by us
  • Complete 2D CAD drawing packages

Networking & Communications

  • EtherNet/IP, Profibus, Modbus, RS-232/485 fieldbus experience
  • Protocol and platform conversion for integrated solutions
  • Plant-floor Ethernet architecture that keeps equipment segregated from the office network

Data Historian

  • SQL-based historian server, ready for web dashboards
  • Scheduled reporting and email services
  • Custom web and emailed reports — view online or delivered automatically

Custom Software Development

  • Application development in Node.js and Express.js
  • SQL data layers and reporting services
  • C#, C++ and Python tooling

// 02 Panel & cabinet fabrication — built, wired and proven before it ships

Full panel fabrication with point-to-point and complete system testing. The panel that arrives on your floor has already run your program on the bench — so start-up is commissioning, not troubleshooting.

[01]  Full panel fabrication and assembly
[02]  Point-to-point and system testing
[03]  UL certification available
[04]  Bench simulation of the finished control program

Fabricated control cabinet with ABB drives, breakers and wire duct

Panel build — fabricated enclosure


// 03 No matter the platform, we have probably seen it

PLC

ControlLogix CompactLogix MicroLogix Micro800 SLC 50X TIA Portal S7-300 S7-1200 S7-1500 Honeywell

HMI & SCADA

Wonderware / Aveva InTouch Archestra FactoryTalk View ME FactoryTalk View SE EZWarePlus Web HMI (JS)

Networks

EtherNet/IP Profibus Modbus TCP / RTU RS-232 / 485 Managed switching VLAN segregation

Software & data

Node.js Express.js SQL Server C# C++ Python Web dashboards

Process experience

[01]  Temperature control and PID tuning
[02]  Web handling and tension control
[03]  Pressure control
[04]  VFD programming and tuning

Industries served

[01]  Plastics & packaging
[02]  Paper, oil, gas & pipeline
[03]  Food, beverage & pharmaceutical
[04]  General manufacturing

Allen-Bradley PLC rack Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus operator station with safety reset and emergency stop Plant-floor network rack
PLC hardware HMI & SCADA Industrial networking

// 04 Five steps, no surprises

Every engagement follows the same path, whether it is a two-day PID tuning visit or a full line retrofit. You always know what happens next and what it costs.

Step What happens
[01] Assess Walk the line, read the existing code, document what is actually installed.
[02] Scope A written functional description and a fixed price or hourly estimate.
[03] Build Code, drawings and panels developed and simulated off-site.
[04] Commission On-site installation, loop checks and start-up with your operators.
[05] Support Documentation handed over, source code yours, phone answered afterward.
2D CAD communications wiring diagram for a dual shaft turret winder upgrade

Deliverable — 2D CAD drawing set


// 05 Hire the expertise, not the headcount

Specialization on demand

Rather than recruiting automation engineers for a single project — then trying to keep the good ones — tap a team that already lives in these platforms daily, with the tools and best practices current.

Lower total cost

Hiring, training and retaining skilled automation engineers carries substantial overhead, plus the ongoing investment to keep them current. Pay for the services rendered instead.

Life extension, not replacement

A brand new machine is often not what you need. We specialize in bringing old equipment up to date — extending its life and buying more time out of the investment you already made.

Development laptop used for custom automation software

Development bench — custom tooling

Accessible technology, scarce expertise

The accessibility of technology has increased and the cost has come way down, but you still need experts to retrofit equipment with the latest factory-floor enhancements. We have been working in the automation industry for 30 years and have seen a lot — including the control system you are living with right now.

Talk it through →


// 06 The partners are the engineers

No account managers between you and the people writing the code.

David Rossi
Managing Partner

Control system design, PLC and HMI development, and plant-floor integration across packaging, paper and process lines.

drossi@appendautomation.com

Dave Hunt
Managing Partner

Data historians, custom software, networking and reporting — connecting the machine layer to the systems the business actually reads.

dhunt@appendautomation.com

Sales & Information
General enquiries

Quotes, scheduling, and questions about whether your project is a fit. We answer our own email.

sales@appendautomation.com


Still running a 1990s control system?

Let us maximize the investment you already made. One conversation is free and usually tells you everything you need to decide. Describe the machine, the platform and the problem — we will tell you honestly whether it is a retrofit, a rewrite, or something you can fix yourself.

Append Automation LLC · Schwenksville, PA
Machine control · Process improvement · Engagements hourly or lump sum

Popular repositories Loading

  1. pylogix_cli pylogix_cli Public

    Command line application for executing pylogix commands.

    Python 3

  2. pycomm3_slc_cli pycomm3_slc_cli Public

    Command line application for executing pycomm3 functions.

    Python 1 2

  3. pv_tools pv_tools Public

    PanelView Display Interrogator

    C# 1

  4. pyModbusTCP_cli pyModbusTCP_cli Public

    Command line wrapper for the pyModbusTCP library.

    Python 1

  5. batch-gui-executer batch-gui-executer Public

    Execute your batch file using this app to provide the user with some feedback while the batch file runs.

    JavaScript

  6. cslogix cslogix Public

    C-Sharp version of pylogix

    C#

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